Man faces kidnapping charges, again

A former Hinckley man who was accused of three counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping two years ago is in trouble with the law again.

In late November, Jesse Michael Ericson, 48, and now of Harris, was accused of kidnapping another woman.

The 2012 charge drew statewide attention after Ericson was accused of planning to abduct his ex-girlfriend, obtain access to her 401K and IRA and then kill her. A meeting was arranged with a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) agent who posed as a hit man. Video and audio equipment captured the exchange between Ericson and the agent. Ericson told the agent he wanted him to kidnap his ex-girlfriend and bring her to a location where he could use her sexually. The agent was instructed to hold the ex-girlfriend until her 401K and IRA were transferred into accounts. The hit man could kill her after Ericson had the money. Ericson changed his mind and said he wanted her chained up so he could use her as a sex slave. Money was given to the agent/hit man for the abduction with additional money promised. Law enforcement arrested Ericson and transported him to the Pine County Jail.

Judge James Reuter sentenced Ericson to 29 months in prison for the crime.

In August of this year, he made headlines again when the Pine County Sheriff’s Office wanted to question him about an incident and he ran from the scene. In that incident, just days after he was released from prison, he was charged with felony theft. He was given 120 days in jail with work release, if eligible, and a 17-month sentence in St. Cloud was stayed for five years as long as he followed the terms of his probation.

Two weeks after he was released for this latest felony, Ericson has been charged with criminal sexual predatory conduct, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

The incident began at Motel 6 in Roseville and ended at Ericson’s residence in Harris.

Ericson overheard an argument between a man and a woman in the parking lot of the motel and offered to help, and asked her to step into his vehicle and calm down.

After going to a gas station, Ericson did not return to the hotel but told the woman he needed to check on his dog, and took the woman to his home in rural Harris.

The complaint said the woman asked several times to return to Roseville.

Ericson is accused of unplugging the phone in the home, and tried to get the woman to come upstairs. He is also accused of groping the woman.

The woman reconnected the phone downstairs and overheard Ericson on what she thought was a sex line. After Ericson got off the phone, she was able to call 911. Ericson then came downstairs, shut off the lights, and locked the doors. At one point, just as an officer arrived, the woman ran out of the house, the charging complaint stated.

Ericson’s criminal record spans 28 years. In 1986, he was found guilty of second-degree arson. He also has two previous criminal sexual conduct charges in his past.